Preview: Oglethorpe County Patriots vs. Elbert County Blue Devils
Oglethorpe County is 1-9 against Elbert County since March of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Oglethorpe County Patriots will head out on the road to square off against the Elbert County Blue Devils at 5:30 p.m. Oglethorpe County is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.
Last Monday, Oglethorpe County had just enough and edged Thomson out 8-7.
Mathew Martin made a splash no matter where he played. He tossed 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also only allowed one walk). Martin has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive pitching appearances. Martin was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Austin Lowe was excellent, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Elbert County scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 22-0 margin over Greene County. Considering Elbert County has won five games by more than seven runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Brooks Banks was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-1. Brady Dickerson was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 1-for-1.
The victory got Oglethorpe County back to even at 7-7. As for Elbert County, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-6 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Oglethorpe County has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Elbert County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.8 per game. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Oglethorpe County was able to grind out a solid win over Elbert County in their previous meeting back in March of 2023, winning 6-2. Will Oglethorpe County repeat their success, or does Elbert County have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
